JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — Local hemp farmers are applauding a request by Oregon Senators to change some federal regulations for the crop.
The requested changes would extend the timeline for testing, remove the requirement that labs be DEA registered, as well as follow Oregon’s pre-harvest sampling protocols.
The main request is that hemp gets a higher THC threshold than .3%.
Hemp farmers say the USDA’s regulations are too low.
Justin Tombe, founder of Phytonyx a local hemp seed company, says he spoke with Senator Wyden personally about the regulations.
“They reached out to stakeholders in the hemp industry here in Oregon to really understand what our concerns were and they addressed them directly with the USDA, so we’re grateful to have that kind of support,” said Tomde.
The USDA is taking public comment now.
A previous version of this story stated that the THC threshold was .5%. The interim USDA rules state that hemp producers “do not commit a negligent violation if they produce plants that exceed the acceptable hemp THC level and use reasonable efforts to grow hemp and the plant does not have a THC concentration of more than 0.5 percent on a dry weight basis.”
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.